Grain-separator.



T. 0. HELGERSO N.

GRAIN S EPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20.1917.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEETI T. 0. HELGERSON.

} GRAIN SEPARAIOR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20! 191?- l-,299,3%1@ Patented Apr. 1,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS 0. HELGERSON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 17, 1915, Serial No. 14,911. Divided and this application filed September 20, 1917. Serial No. 192,390.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS O. Herein:- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepm and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Separators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved means for converting rotary motion into vibratory motion; and to such ends, generally stated, the invention conslsts in the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

This improved motion transmitting and converting mechanism is capable of many uses, but is particularly designed and especially adapted for use in connection w1th fanning mills and separators wherein sieveequipped shoes are given vibratory motlon from a running shaft.

The present application is filed as a div1 sion of my co-pending application S. N. 14,911, filed of date, March 17, 1915, and entitled Grain separator. p

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my 111- vention as applied to or incorporated 1n a grain separator;

taken centrally through the transmission mechanism shown in Fig. 1, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation showing parts in the vicinity of the line 33 on r i ;4. is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Of the parts of the grain separator illustrated, it is desirable for the purposes of this case to particularly note only the framework 1, the feed hopper 2, suction fan casing 3 and blower fan casing 4, and the vibratory sieve-equipped shoe 6, which latter is supported by suitable means, not shown, for vibratory movements transversely of the machine. Working within the fan casing 3 is a fan not illustrated in detail, but the shaft 16 of which projects at its ends, is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame bar, and, at one end, is provided with a pulley 17 over which a belt, not shown, will be run to impart rotary motion to the said shaft.

Working within the fan casing 4 is the customary blower fan, not illustrated in detail, but the shaft 20 of which is journaled in suitable bearings in the frame bar and projects at both ends, being provided at one end with driving pulley 2122, and at its other end with a face friction wheel or disk 23.

In .the present application of my invention, vibratory motion is imparted to the sieve-equipped shoe 6 by means of my novel transmission mechanism, the preferred form of which is here illustrated. This driving mechanism, includes a counter shaft 48 that is journaled in yieldingly supported bearings 4950. The bearing 49 is guided for sliding movements between the prongs of a supporting bracket 51 rigidly secured to one side of the frame 1; and, likewise, the bearing bracket is mounted for sliding movements between the prongs of a bracket 52, alsorigidly secured to said framework. The bearing 49 is yieldingly cushioned in both movements, by inside coiled springs 53 and outside coiled springs 54. Thrust bolts 55 are extended through flanges of the bracket 51, through perforations in the projecting upper and'lower flanges of the bear- Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section ing 49 and through the upper and lower coiled springs 53-54; and at their outer ends, said bolts are shown as provided with washers 56 and nuts 57 By adjustments of the nuts 57, the tension of the springs may be varied and the crank end of the shaft may be adjusted horizontally. Thrust bolts 58 are passed through a flange on the bracket 52 and through flanges on the bearing 50, and, as shown, are provided at their outer ends with washers 59 andnuts 60. Cushioning springs 61 placed around the bolt 58 are compressed between washers 59, to flanges of the bearing 50.

At its right hand end, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft 48 is provided with a peripheral friction wheel 62 that cotiperates with the face friction wheel 23 already noted. This friction wheel 62 is of any well known type, but preferably is provided with a fiber friction band 63 that isspressed into frictional contact with the face of the said wheel 23, by the tension of the springs 61. Also, this friction wheel is made axially adjustable on the shaftLS, so as to set thesame for variable speed transmission which, as shown, is-accomplished by providing-the shaft with a long keyway 64: that is engaged bya key in the hub of the wheel 62. As shown, thehub of the said wheel 62 is "furtherprovided with a set screw 65, by means of which it may be locked to the shaft 48 in different adjustments in respect to the axis of the friction wheel 23. Obviously, the further the friction wheel 62 is set from the axis of the wheel 28, the greaterwillbe the speed of the shaft 48 in respect vto the speed of rotation of the wheel 23.

At its lefthand end,as shown in'Figs. l and 2, the shaft 48 carries an eccentric or crank (Z on which is mounted an eccentric strap 7 that has a heavy projecting lug to which a head 9 of along pitman 7 extends through clearance passages in the side of the sieve shoe 6 and is pivotally connected to the said shoe, preferably, at the far side thereof, (see Fig. 1).

All of the parts herein specifically described are designated by the same numerals as in my co-pending application above identified.

Various vibratory bodies such, for example, as sieve shoes, require vibration at-a comparatively high rate of speed and when thus vibrated, as is well known,a very considerable momentum and inertia that must be overcome at thelimit of reciprocation. By yieldingly mounting the eccentric or crank shaft 48, substantially as illustrated in the drawings, shocks which otherwise would be produced, are absorbed in the springs which support the hearings in which the said shaft 'isinounted. The pivotal connection between the head 9 and eccentric strap .7 ,permits the free unrestricted action of the eccentric .and pitman, regardless of changes of the angle of the crankshaft 48, in respect to theflplane of operation of the said pitman. This ishighly important because thesaid shaft will change its angle to the original position when its fiber facing 43 wears away, and its diameter is thereby decreased, andalso, thesaid shaft willcontinuously change its angle, to some extent, when the-springs 48 yield to overcome :the momentum of the shoe. Moreover, with ef -the shaft.

man head described constitute what may be termedria universal knuckle joint aconnection weasel the-above construction, it is not important that-the.;pit1 nan or :crank-rod be set in a plane that is exactly at an angle to the axis The eccentric strap and pitbetween the pitman and the eccentric or crank.

"Theirictio-n drive is also highly important for several reasons, notably, because slightly angular movements of the shaft 48, in respect to the fri-ction face of the wheel 23, does not interfere with thefrictional contact between "the'two friction wheels .23 and 62. Also, this {type offriction drive will permit adjustments for variable speed and will operate equally well "in all positions of'the wheel (ii-regardless ofthe'vibratory movements of the shaft't8.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with avibratorybody, of a driving shaft, a "drivenshaft, cooperating face and peripheral frictionwheels connectingsaid driven .shaftto said driven shaftfthe said driven shaft being yieldingly mounted for angular movements and provided with ail-eccentric, and a pitnian con nection between said eccentric and said vibratory body.

2. The combination with-avibratory body, of a driving'shaft, a driven shaft,=cooperating "faceand :perip'heral friction wheels 'connecting said driving 'shaft to "said driven shaft, the said drive-n shaft being yieldingly mounted for angularinovements-and provided with an eccentric, and a pitman connected at one end to said vibratory body and at its otherend having a head pivoted thereto for lateral swing-ingmovements and j ournaled on said eccentric.

3. The combination with a vibratory body, of a'face friction wheel, a shaft-having a peripheral friction wheel cooperating with said face friction-wheel, an eccentric on said shaft, a pitman connection between said eccentric and vibratory bocly,-and a spring supported bearing for said shaft arranged to cushion'the shocks-produced in said shaft by the reversal of'the movement o'f 'said' body. llntestimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of 'two witnesses.

Henry D. KILGoRE, BERNICE G. BAUMANN.

Gopiesof this patent may 'be obtainedfor" five cents each, by addressing the (Jnmm'issione!" of". Patents, *Washington, 50. 0; 

